THIS WEEK
Penn State (0-0, 0-0 ECAC) open up the 2007 season with a home game vs. the University of Denver (0-0, 0-0 GWLL). The Pioneers and Nittany Lions will tangle on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. in Holuba Hall.

UP NEXT
Penn State continues a four-game homestand to open the season by hosting Notre Dame on Sunday, Feb. 25, at 1 p.m. in Holuba Hall.

TODAY¡¯S MATCH-UP
The Penn State Nittany Lion lacrosse team opens up the 2007 at home with a night game against visiting Denver. The Nittany Lions and the Pioneers will meet on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. in Holuba Hall.

Penn State is coming off an 8-5 season that saw it go 5-2 in the ECAC Lacrosse League and finish just one game out of first place. The Nittany Lions return many starters from last season¡¯s team and have added a talented recruiting class to the mix. Brian Boyle returns as the offensive leader after leading Penn State in scoring last season while sophomore Pat Heim returns to anchor the midfield after earning All-ECAC honors and sophomore goalie Drew Adams returns in the net after being named ECAC Rookie and ECAC Goalie of the Year.

Denver is coming off a 12-5 season that saw it win the Great Western Lacrosse League with a 5-0 mark. Denver earned a spot in the NCAA tournament, dropping a first round game vs. Maryland. The Pioneers will be led by Ryan Zordani, who had 39 points off 19 goals and 20 assists last year. Starting goalie Jeb Hollingsworth also returns.

REVIEW: THE JHU EXHIBITION
Johns Hopkins enters the 2007 season ranked No. 2 nationally by Inside Lacrosse. Penn State enters ranked No. 17. In a pre-season scrimmage between the two teams, Penn State got two goals in a game played in chilly conditions in Baltimore. Pat Heim and Mike Toner each scored unassisted goals in a game that had numerous scores wiped away with penalties. Head coach Glenn Thiel got to play all his dressed Nittany Lions in the pre-season¡¯s final scrimmage but still sat a number of starters in order to get them healthy for Saturday¡¯s season opener with Denver.

REVIEW: THE LEHIGH EXHIBITION
Penn State hosted Lehigh last Saturday in its first exhibition game, an informal scrimmage in Holuba Hall on Saturday, Feb. 3. Every Nittany Lion that dressed saw action as head coach Glenn Thiel got an early look at some of his younger players. The veteran mentor also got to see many of his returning veterans in game situations for the first time since the fall. The Nittany Lions were led by freshman Chris Hogan¡¯s three goals. Hogan also led Penn State with three ground balls. Adam Kenney added two goals and Matt Loy and Pat Heim each added one. Sophomore keeper Drew Adams played just over a half and did not allow a goal. Greg Boyle played much of the second half in the net and had two saves.

HEIM, MULQUEEN AND SALTSMAN NAMED 2007 TEAM CAPTAINS
The Penn State Nittany Lion men¡¯s lacrosse team, under the direction of veteran head coach Glenn Thiel, will rely upon a trio of veteran leaders in 2007. Seniors Pat Heim (Wayne, Pa.), Dan Saltsman (Concord, N.H.) and Matt Mulqueen (Downingtown, Pa.) have been named captains for the 2007 campaign.

Heim returns for his final go-round with the Nittany Lions after earning his second straight first team All-ECAC nod in 2006. The midfielder had 22 points off 17 goals and five assists last year and posted a .254 shot percentage. He also had 28 ground balls. Over three years as a starter, Heim has 67 points off 44 goals and 23 assists. ¡°Pat is the backbone of our offense,¡± Thiel said. ¡°He will team with Gil Pearsall to give us great leadership on attack.¡± Heim was also an honorable mention All-American last year.

Saltsman emerged as a defensive anchor for Penn State in 2006. He started all 13 games in the backfield and had 28 ground balls. Saltsman was honored as a first team All-ECAC pick. He has played in 40 games at Penn State. Mulqueen also played in 13 games last season, starting eight of them. He was third on the team with 38 ground balls as he helped anchor the defense with Saltsman. Mulqueen has played in 33 games over three seasons as a Nittany Lion. ¡°Defensive captains Saltsman and Mulqueen are Penn State prototypes,¡± Thiel said. ¡°They are hard working, intense and physical defenders.¡±

HEIM NAMED INSIDE LACROSSE PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICAN
Penn State Nittany Lion lacrosse player Pat Heim (Wayne, Pa.) has been named a second team pre-season All-American by Inside Lacrosse magazine. Heim is a senior co-captain on head coach Glenn Thiel¡¯s squad. Heim is a three-year starter at midfield for Penn State. A two-time first team All-ECAC pick, Heim has 67 career points off 44 goals and 23 assists. He has played in 41 games for Penn State through three seasons with the Nittany Lions and was a 2006 USILA honorable mention All-American.

A trio of Nittany Lions were named to the Inside lacrosse honorable mention list. Senior co-captain Dan Saltsman (Concord, N.H.), senior attacker Brain Boyle (Derry, N.H.) and sophomore goalie Drew Adams (Springfield, Pa.) were all on the pre-season HM list.

ADAMS NAMED ECAC ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AND GOALIE OF THE YEAR TO LEAD SIX LIONS ON ALL-ECAC TEAMS
Four members of head coach Glenn Thiel¡¯s Penn State Nittany Lion lacrosse team have earned All-ECAC honors as voted on by the league¡¯s eight head coaches. Freshman Drew Adams (Springfield, Pa.) leads the way as the conference¡¯s Goalkeeper of the Year and Rookie of the Year.

Joining Adams on the All-ECAC squad is senior attacker Nate Whitaker (Great Falls, Va.), junior midfielder Pat Heim (Wayne, Pa.) and junior defender Dan Saltsman (Concord, N.H.). Junior Brian Boyle (Derry, N.H.) and senior Greg Gurenlian (Springfield, Pa.) were named to the All-ECAC second team. In his first season with Penn State, Adams started all 13 games for Penn State and boasted an 8.25 goals against average. He had 164 saves as well, facing 414 shots during the course of the season. Adams is the only freshman on the team and one of only two underclassmen. Whitaker led Penn State in goals with 28 and added four assists to finish second on the team with 32 points. He leaves Penn State with 101 goals, fourth all-time at Penn State, and 141 points, seventh all-time. Heim had 17 goals and five assists for 22 points this year. He added 28 ground balls as well, sixth on the team. He is one of three repeat All-ECAC selections on this year¡¯s team as well. In three years as a starter, Heim has 44 goals and 22 assists for 66 points.

Saltsman earned his first All-ECAC nod with this year¡¯s selection. A three-year letterman, Saltsman has started for the last two. This year, he collected 28 ground balls, fifth on the team and has 82 career ground balls. UMass attacker Sean Morris was named Offensive Player of the Year, Minuteman defender Jack Reid was named Defensive Player of the Year and Loyola¡¯s Charley Toomey was named Coach of the Year.

Boyle led Penn State in scoring with 37 points off 12 goals and a team-best 25 assists. A three-year letterman, Boyle has 67 career points off 26 goals and 41 assists. Gurenlian led Penn State with 98 ground balls and a .610 face-off percentage (winning 158 of 259). He leaves Penn State as the all-time leader in face-offs won.

PENN STATE RANKED NO. 17 IN PRE-SEASON INSIDE LACROSSE POLL (12/1/06)
The Nittany Lion men¡¯s lacrosse team, under the guidance of veteran head coach Glenn Thiel, will enter the 2007 season ranked No. 17 in the Inside Lacrosse/Face-Off Magazine national pre-season rankings. Defending national champion Virginia is No. 1 in the poll, followed by perennial power Johns Hopkins at No. 2. Syracuse follows at No. 3 with Princeton stepping in at No. 4. ECAC foe Georgetown leads the ECAC Lacrosse League¡¯s six entrants on the list with a No. 5 ranking. Duke, Maryland, Cornell, Navy and ECAC rival UMass round out the top ten. The ECAC is represented at No. 11 and No. 12 by Towson and Loyola, followed by Penn (13), Denver (14), Hofstra (15) and Notre Dame (16). Penn State checks in at No. 17 with Maryland-Baltimore County (18), Delaware (19), Albany (20), North Carolina (21), Dartmouth (22), Harvard (23), Army (24) and ECAC foe Hobart (25) rounding out the list.

PENN STATE RANKED NO. 16 FINAL REGULAR SEASON USILA COACHES POLL (5/8)
The Penn State Nittany Lion men¡¯s lacrosse team, under the guidance of head coach Glenn Thiel, ended the year ranked No. 16 in the final regular season USILA Coaches Poll (5/8). Penn State was one of four ECAC Lacrosse League teams on the poll, which included Georgetown (5), UMass (10), Penn State (16) and Loyola (18).

2006 ECAC LACROSSE LEAGUE ALL-ECAC TEAMS AND AWARDS

Offensive Player of the Year
Sean Morris, Massachusetts Sr.

Defensive Player of the Year
Jack Reid, Massachusetts Sr.

Goalkeeper of the Year
Drew Adams, Penn State Fr.

Rookie of the Year
Drew Adams, Penn State Fr.

Coach of the Year
Charley Toomey, Loyola

First Team
A-Dan Bowers, Loyola Jr.
A-Brendan Cannon, Georgetown So.
A-Sean Morris, Massachusetts# Sr.
A-Nate Whitaker, Penn State Sr.
M-Pete Cannon, Georgetown Sr.
M-Greg Downing, Fairfield Jr.
M-Pat Heim, Penn State# Jr.
D-Reyn Garnett, Georgetown Jr.
D-Jack Reid, Massachusetts# Sr.
D-Dan Saltsman, Penn State Jr.
G-Drew Adams, Penn State Fr.

Second Team
A-Trevor Casey, Georgetown
A-Brian Boyle, Penn State
A-Travis Nelson, Fairfield
A-Daryl Veltman, Hobart
M-Greg Gurenlian, Penn State
M-Dave Paolisso, Georgetown
M-Andrew Spack, Loyola
D-Matt Blocklet, Fairfield
D-Steven Hess, Loyola
D-Jerry Lambe, Georgetown
G-Mike Fretwell, Loyola

# 2005 All-ECAC